Risen With Christ

“And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.”  —1 Corinthians 15:14

I just read the most incredible description of a modern day resurrection. The Jesus’ Film folks were showing the Jesus’ Film in a very antagonistic region of the world. As they showed the film in an open field, another group was meeting behind closed doors planning to attack and stop it. They attacked the small group viewing the movie with stones. As everyone ran off and hid in the bush, the group pelted the film team’s car with rocks for an hour and a half and set fire to the film equipment. After the attackers left the area, the Christians started their car and fled back to their home base.

A week later, the head of the film team was surprised to hear that the opposition leader had become a follower of Jesus. When the attacker went to bed that night, he had a vivid vision of Jesus hanging on the cross, suffering. In his dream, Jesus turned to him, said his name, and asked, “Why are you persecuting me?” As a spiritual leader, the revelation was too much for him to grasp. Stunned and still in his dream, he said, “Jesus, if you are really God, heal my chronic ailment.” When he awoke the next morning, he was completely healed!

Jesus is alive and speaks to people today by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, dreams, visions, other Christians, the Church, and our circumstances. The resurrection of Christ is the foundation of the Christian faith. Paul clearly stated this truth, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.” Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is one of the most documented and established facts of history. Lives have been transformed, kingdoms conquered, and the entire course of human history transformed forever.

 

The fact and miracle of the resurrection actually happened and has been reenacted hundreds and thousands of times in the life of the Church. The fearful, wanderer is raised to live a life of peace and purpose. God transforms the violent brawler and hater into a gentle-hearted, lover of people through an encounter with the risen Christ. God’s grace changes the addict into a clean and holy person who gives rather than steals. The fowl-mouthed blasphemer becomes a preacher of the Good News of Jesus. A murderer and persecutor of the church becomes a missionary to a lost world. Every one of these instances is a resurrection. The dead in sin has become alive in Christ.

 

The resurrection of Jesus is not just an event in history that we celebrate on Easter Sunday, but a living experience of the Christian’s life. Josh McDowell describes this reality in his authority prayer, “I have been co-resurrected, co-ascended and co-seated with Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father” (Handbook of Today's Religions). This authority for believers is based on Ephesians 2:5-6, “When we were dead in our transgressions, [God] made us alive together with Christ … and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Friend, if you are a Christian believer, Easter Sunday should be one of the highest moments of celebration. Yes, we look back to the historical fact of what Jesus did then. It’s true. It’s documented. It’s miraculous. Let us also live into the reality of who we are in Jesus Christ and the power of God at work in each of us, today. You, too, are co-resurrected with Christ. You are co-ascended with Christ, and you are co-seated in heavenly places with Christ. Let us rise up with Christ and live our Christian lives with authority and confidence.